Oct. 14 Don Mattingly postgame interview

Q. Could you talk about what you saw from Ryu in a really clutch game for him?

DON MATTINGLY: Yeah, that's what we kind of expected the first time out, really, because he's pitched big in a lost big games this year. He's pitched really well and seemed to handle it really well.

I think just the experience of the last series really helped him today. I think we've seen him aggressive with the fastball, and when you see that with him, then it sets everything else up, like most guys. But he was a guy that was aggressive with the fastball and he was able to get ahead in the count. He uses the offspeed.

Q. Could you talk about Hanley and how he was feeling through the game and how he's doing now?

DON MATTINGLY: I think he's okay. I didn't hear anything through the game. He really probably could have stayed there at the end. But once he got the at‑bats, it seemed like, I'm assuming that he's got to be limited in some way in his movement and everything else.

But watching him take BP today and throw, he seemed pretty good. I know he was taking it easy, so it sounded like it went pretty good for him. Obviously, he threw a couple of hits out there and it's good to have him in there just to have him in there too to put another guy in there.

Q. Just thoughts on what you saw in Andre Ethier from the plate to the field and how close he was to the Ethier that was so significant for the team this year?

DON MATTINGLY: Obviously didn't do a whole lot offensively, but we're still comfortable with him. We feel just talking to Davey as that game went on, I could have doubled him out there at the end.

But Davey feels really comfortable with him defensively. We don't know how he'll come back tomorrow though. We'll see how tomorrow goes. If he's a guy that's not going to be able to go, we don't know about Hanley tomorrow. So we're kind of day‑to‑day with these guys, how they kind of react after the games.

But we're happy, again, that Andre's in there, a guy that has hit Wainwright in the past, at least makes him think about pitching to Adrian a little bit. Adrian was able to get a big hit for us.

Q. In the earlier parts of the game, Ryu's fastball topped out at 95 miles. Is that the kind of velocity, he doesn't do that very often, but is that the kind of velocity that you'd expect to see more often?

DON MATTINGLY: He doesn't do that a whole lot, but it seems like in the games that he gets a little amped for and he's had his really, really good games, we'll see him touch that. He doesn't really pitch there. It's more of the 92, 91. We see him get in trouble when he's 88, 89, when he doesn't have the same life on his fastball.

But the day that's he's feeling good and you start seeing that 95, just touch it 94 now and then, he's got enough velocity to get guys having to speed up a little bit and then it makes everything else better.

Q. Who is starting tomorrow?

DON MATTINGLY: Ricky.

Q. Can you talk about what goes into that decision?

DON MATTINGLY: He's been set up the whole time for Game 4. As of right now, Ricky Nolasco will be pitching tomorrow.

Q. This might be sort of an obvious question, but what is the significance of beating Adam Wainwright?

DON MATTINGLY: Well, it gets us on the board. That is the main thing. Obviously, this guy is a big‑game pitcher that's got quality stuff and has a handful every time you face him. So the significance for us is being able to get on the board, grab a little momentum on our side of the field. They're still up 2‑1 on us, but it puts a win on our side of the board.

If we can go play well tomorrow night and continue to pitch the way we have, put some runs up, then it just keeps coming our way then. So once you get the momentum, you just like to hold on to it.

Q. James Mims upstairs in the press box was taking credit for turning Puig around?

DON MATTINGLY: James Mims?

Q. Yeah, I just wondered if you wanted to congratulate him. He said he thinks Puig has changed his batting approach. Bats in too tight and he's too stiff. Do you agree with him?

DON MATTINGLY: Mac does all the hitting stuff. I don't really think it's got anything to do with him mechanically. It's more about him getting himself pitches to hit. They did a nice job on him. I'm going to give those guys some credit. It hasn't changed from Atlanta. He swung the bat good in Atlanta, he swung the bat good tonight.

Q. So you're shooting Mims down?

DON MATTINGLY: I'm shooting him down.

Q. Speaking of Puig, did you feel he was pressing the first couple games and did you feel it was just a matter of time before he busted out?

DON MATTINGLY: I think they've got good pitching. Again, Yadier is tremendous back there calling the game, knows what he's doing with his guys out there. So I give a lot of credit to their pitching. Again, Yasiel is emotional. We see it tonight with the hit and everything that goes into that. It has a chance to be like that back and forth. He's going to continue to grow and get better, but there are going to be nights where they're going to have their way with him at times, and we've just got to continue to help him get better and better.

Q. Can you talk about beating Wainwright tonight? And the first two games they win against Greinke and Kershaw, does that strike you as strange at all?

DON MATTINGLY: Well, they've all been like those games still that are a hit here or hit there that kind of change with. Not really. When you're in a close game, it seems like when you're in games that both teams are in it, anything happens. When you get Clayton or Zack, and you throw five or six runs up for them, then it seems like those games get out of hand.

But any game that you're in that both teams stay close, at that point it's a key hit away. They're going to make mistake like everybody else as you get deeper into the game.

It doesn't surprise me because both teams have stayed within reach all the time. So any one pitch or one bad bounce or one bad play, you're in harm's way all of a sudden.

Q. How much of an emotional lift do you think your team got from just having Hanley and Ethier in the lineup today?

DON MATTINGLY: I think some. But the fact that they can play is the biggest thing because they have a chance to help you win games. I think it says a lot about Hanley and Dre. These guys want to be out there. This time of the year neither one of them are going to be 100%, but I think for all our guys, I think pretty much everybody we have we try to play. There is nobody, I don't think, that's going to back away at this time. I think emotionally it's good that they're in the lineup. When you've got to go through Hanley, if he's swinging 80%, he's still pretty damn good. And Dre's the same way; I think he's always dangerous.

Q. Mathematically this was not a must‑win. But realistically knowing the game, how big a win was this? And secondly, is the pitching announcement 100% for tomorrow?

DON MATTINGLY: For Ricky?

Q. Yes.

DON MATTINGLY: As of right now Ricky is our set pitcher.

Q. Go with the first one.

DON MATTINGLY: Say the first one again.

Q. I was asking you, obviously, mathematically this wasn't a must‑win, but realistically did you feel it was?

DON MATTINGLY: Yeah, I think realistically you feel like it's a must‑win. But, again, you feel like every one is like that. I've been in a being up 3‑0 series and knowing that that can change. This is one of those games that you come home, if can you get the game and get the momentum on your side, you feel like obviously they still have the upper hand because they're up 2‑1.

But you feel like you're back in the series, and it gives your guys a little bit of confidence. Again, I think the playoffs are a one‑day momentum swings. Every day changes with momentum. Right now I feel like we've kind of grabbed it.

Q. With most of your other big hitters either ailing or nicked up a little bit, how vital is Puig? Also you mentioned that he was excited. Was that good? Was that acceptable, or on either end of the flip or the dance into third base a little over the top for you?

DON MATTINGLY: I think he's just excited. I think these guys get excited when they get hits, and that's just Yasiel. I'd like to see him run right away, honestly, because you don't know the ball's going to bounce away and ends up at three. But obviously, he thought it was gone. I've been dealing with this all year.

He's just emotional, and it's areas that we want to keep getting better at. I would like to see him run right away because I just don't think you can assume the ball's going out of the ballpark.